


In His Brother's Shadow

by OugiOshino



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Akechi Goro Has A Palace, Akechi Goro Lives, Amamiya Ren and Kurusu Akira Are Twins, Brief Persona 5 Royal Spoilers, I don't know, Inaba (Persona Series), Might be OOC, Multi, Persona 5 Protagonist Has A Palace, Persona 5 Protagonist is from Inaba, Post-Canon, don't worry he's fine, i've never played persona, of fucking course it is, the major character death is akechi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:01:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28368819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OugiOshino/pseuds/OugiOshino
Summary: “Ren wasn’t there when Akira fell. He wasn’t there to watch his brother pine over Goro Akechi. He wasn’t there when that same man broke his brother’s heart. However, he was there for the aftermath.”The older brother returns home, with secrets and distortion overflowing in his heart - and the palace that he's kept hidden all along from his friends. And the younger brother, the one who waited all this time, is the only one who can help his twin now.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Amamiya Ren & Kurusu Akira, Kurusu Akira & Phantom Thieves of Hearts
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37





	1. The Trickster Returns Home

Ren wasn’t there when Akira fell. He wasn’t there to watch his brother pine over Goro Akechi. He wasn’t there when that same man broke his brother’s heart. However, he was there for the aftermath. He was there to comfort his brother when he came finally came home. And he regretted letting Akira go to Tokyo on his own. Even if he hadn’t been involved in the incident, he should have gone with his brother. Maybe things would have been different if he had.

“Ren…” The way that his brother looked at him when he walked through the door, the way he pulled him tightly into a hug. It was different. Akira was… he had changed. There was something different in his eyes.

“Akira,” He was glad to have his brother back, but… no, he was probably just imagining it. Akira was the same as always, “It’s nice to see you again big brother.” Akira ruffled his hand through Ren’s hair, a tired smiling playing across his face.

“Yeah, good to see you.” Like always, Akira was a man of few words. Most of the time even Ren, his twin brother, couldn’t figure out what was going on in his head. He headed for the stairs, a small black cat trailing around his feet.

“How was Tokyo? Did you make any friends?” At that Akira seemed to falter and turned back to face his younger twin.

“Yeah. I…” he paused for a moment, seeming to contemplate what was the right thing to say next, “they’re good people Ren.” Without another word, he headed upstairs, and Ren sighed. It always felt like he was watching Akira leave. His brother was someone to chase after, someone he could never quite catch up to.

Leaving had been hard, maybe the hardest thing Akira had ever had to do. And he had fought god. Well… a god at least. But everyone else, they also had their own dreams. And it was time that he returned home, he had left Ren alone for far too long.

“You got everything kid?” Akira gave a tense nod in response to Sojiro’s question, “you know, when I took you in, I thought I was going to be the one helping you out. Seems it was the other way around all along. Take care kid.”

“I’ll… be lonely without you Sojiro-san.” Sojiro chuckled softly, shaking his head in amusement.

“You really are something kid,” he glanced around the small café before his eyes landed back on Akira, “I’m sure Futaba wanted to say goodbye to you as well, but I haven’t been able to find her all morning. Same with that damned cat of yours. Ah well, if you ever find your way back to Tokyo, stop by sometime.”

“Don’t go closing the shop while I’m gone. Thank you for… all you’ve done.” Akira flashed him one last smile before heading out to the train station. He really was going to miss this… miss everything. Even passing by random people he didn’t know was a meaningless tedium that he was going to miss. Back home, everyone knew everyone, or least knew **of** everyone. Inaba was a small town, but it was home. It was where Ren was. He glanced up to the sky, it was so blue and clear. It felt… like everything was finally going to be okay.

“YO! AKIRA! OVER HERE!” Ryuji’s familiar voice called out to him and Ann waved him over to a silver van. He wandered over, stopping just in front of his friends.

“After all we said we’d disband… here we are yet again.” Yusuke piped up from the back of the van, crossing his arms and staring out the window.

“It doesn’t really matter, we’re on break after all.” Haru smiled softly at Makoto, who was sitting in the driver’s seat.

“I’m finally done with entrance exams; I’ll drive you to the station Akira.”

“Do you really gotta go Aki?” Futaba leaned over, flopping her arms over the seat and sending a sad look in Akira’s direction.

“Yeah. There’s someone I’ve kept waiting for me for far too long.” The Phantom Thieves looked at him in confusion and he faltered, realizing that he had never told them about Ren, “uh, you know what, ignore that.” Ann reached up and tilted the mirror slightly, pointing it at a dark car behind them.

“Shit! They’ve followed here too?!” Ryuji shot a worried look at Akira, “your call dude, what do you want us to do?”

“Need a hand?” That voice…! Akira turned to see Takuto Maruki pull up in a taxi next to them.

“DR MARUKI?!” Akira got it was a surprise, but did Ryuji really have to scream right in his ear? The former therapist popped open the backseat door and gestured for Akira to get in.

“You’re suggesting that we spilt up!” Makoto, sharp as always. Akira nodded and slipped into the taxi. He and Maruki watched quietly as the Phantom Thieves sped off with the black car tailing them.

“Well then, shall we?” Maruki turned to Akira to ask him if he was ready to go. He nodded and the taxi driver sped off to the station.

Akira dug in his pocket for money as they came to a stop, but Maruki shook his head.

“There’s no charge,” Akira looked up at him in shock as Maruki continued talking, “if you ever find yourself struggling through life, remember anyone is able to start over. And if that ends up saving you, we’re even.” Maruki… maybe he wasn’t that bad of a person after all. Akira smiled as he stepped out of the taxi and the Phantom Thieves’ van sped to a stop behind Maruki’s taxi.

“Those dudes would just not give up!” Ryuji slammed open the door to the van and Futaba poked her head out.

“Guess this is it Aki. Come visit sometime!” Futaba’s eyes lit up with a mischievous smile as she continued, “and bring that mysterious someone of yours!”

“If you don’t come back, we’ll come get you!” Ann added chipperly, but it sounded more like a threat than anything.

“All right guys, time to get going.” Makoto kicked the van back into gear and they sped off again, the black car still chasing after them. Akira sighed to himself, he really was going to miss them, before turning to enter the train station. As he headed for the correct platform, his bag started to wiggle. He reached to open it, bumping shoulders with someone while he was distracted.

“Hey, why are you looking down at the ground like that? Aren’t you the one who taught me to keep my head up?” Before Akira could say anything to Sumire, Morgana popped out of the bag.

“I’m finally freed! Told ‘ya I was coming with you Aki! Oh!” Sumire nodded politely to the pair.

“I’ll be seeing you then Senpai. Take care of yourself.” She headed off in the opposite direction that Akira was headed with one last smile. Goodbyes… they truly were the worst. Morgana nuzzled his head into Akira’s neck, gesturing for him to go catch his train. Akira nodded and headed off as well. This was the end, but it was also a beginning.

On the train, Morgana curled back up into Akira’s bag, falling asleep instantly. Akira gave him a tender pat before glancing out the window. Just as he was about to get distracted, his phone lit up with a notification.

> Ren: Can’t wait to see you again big brother! Happy you’re finally coming home! Congratulations on getting your probation lifted!

He reached for his phone to answer the text but paused as he saw a familiar brown uniform out the window. There was no way and yet… the way that person carried themselves, it was the exact same way that he used to. But… Akechi was dead, of course it wasn’t him. Akira shook it off as the train began to chug forward. Someday… if it truly had been him, they would meet again. They had made a promise, after all.


	2. Trip to Tokyo

“Welcome little one.” Ren blinked open his eyes to reveal a young blonde girl. He glanced around at his surroundings, trying to gauge where he was. This wasn’t any place he recognized… where?

“Where… am I?” The girl smiled softly, leaning against a large desk behind her.

“The Velvet Room little one. You are quite different from your brother,” Akira? What did he have to do with this? “my name is Lavenza, I am the attendant of this place. I have called you here because I have sensed a distortion in the trickster’s heart.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Lavenza frowned, sitting down on the floor and patting the spot next to her. Ren walked over and sat down. What was going on?

“It seems you do not yet know of the metaverse. I will explain everything,” And she did. For a girl who looked so young, she was wise beyond her years, “your brother, the trickster, has manifested a palace in his heart. I’ve known of the distortion for a while, but I figured everything would turn out all right. I was wrong to think that, I should have taken care of this when the issue first arose. Now it has gotten too far out of hand. If this goes on for any longer, the version of him you know now will be gone.”

“Why would Big Brother…?” Lavenza frowned again, but this time, there was something much sadder behind it.

“It… is a long story little one. I feel that I am not the right person to tell it, but if no one else will, it is my job to tell you. Does the name Goro Akechi mean anything to you?” Ren thought for a moment, it sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite place where he had heard it before.

“I… don’t know.”

“I figured that’s what you’d say. Akechi was like your brother, a wild card, though he didn’t yet know how to correctly harness his power. He and the trickster, they had a… unique relationship. He almost certainly part of the reason that the distortion has formed, but he also part of the distortion itself.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Goro Akechi is not dead like your brother believes. He’s perfectly alive and well and he has a palace too. One that intertwines with the trickster’s. I cannot speak anymore on this topic for the time being. If you need any help, consult your brother’s friends. Take care little one. I believe in your ability to save your brother.” Ren closed his eyes slowly, feeling suddenly very sleep and when he opened them again, he was staring at the familiar ceiling of his bedroom. Save Akira…? How was he supposed to do that? Ren slipped out of bed, picking his phone to check the time. 7 AM. If he was going to do what Lavenza had requested of him, the first thing he had to do was find Akira’s friends. Which meant he had to sneak to Tokyo without Akira finding out where he was going. Luckily, his older brother tended to sleep in late, so he made it out of the house without too much trouble.

The city was so different from the small town where Ren had spent his entire life. Back home in Inaba, he never would have gotten lost like this. But here he was, hopelessly lost in the middle of Tokyo. Having nothing to go on about Akira’s friends, he’d wandered aimlessly around and look where that had gotten him.

“Akira?” a woman’s voice called out to him from behind and he jumped, turning to see a young lady who looked to be about a year older than him with black hair, “what are you doing back in the city? I thought you went home.” Ah, the unfortunate side effect of having an identical twin brother. More often than not, he was mistaken for Akira.

“I’m not-“ Before Ren could explain himself, the woman texted something to someone and grabbed his hand, dragging him along with her to some mysterious location. Well… at least she seemed to know Akira, meaning he had a lead to go on.

They arrived at a café, a small group of people already inside arguing loudly over each other.

“It doesn’t make any sense! Aki said he was going home! Why would he be back already?!” They continued to argue as Ren and his companion walked in, at which point the woman joined in as well.

“Um…” Ren wasn’t able to get a word in edgewise, they were just so loud, “if I could explain…”

“Oh, sorry. Guys, we should let Akira talk.” The woman who had picked him up clapped her hands, effectively silencing the rest of the group.

“Yeah, that’s what I was going to say… I’m not Akira.” They all fell silent, staring at him in shock until a blonde girl spoke up.

“What do you mean you’re not Akira?”

“It’s pretty simple actually, Akira is my older brother,” Another shocked silence. Was it really that surprising? Surely if they were Akira’s friends, they knew that- oh no, his brother had done it again hadn’t he. He’d forgotten to tell his friends that Ren existed, “he never told you, did he?”

“No shit Aki didn’t tell us!” An orange haired girl spoke up, slamming her hands down on the table in her frustration, wincing in pain seconds later.

“You look exactly like him, sorry for mistaking you for him earlier.” the woman who had brought him here bowed her head in apology.

“Ah! You don’t have to apologize! This sort of thing happens pretty often, it’s just part of having a twin brother,” he should probably tell them why he had come to Tokyo in the first place. If they were the friends that Lavenza had mentioned, he was going to need their help, “actually, it’s pretty lucky that you found me. I came here to look for Akira’s friends, but since I’ve never left Inaba before, I got pretty lost.”

“Good thing Makoto found you then! You better tell us you’re name or you’re going to be stuck as Aki #2!”

“It’s Ren. My name is Ren.”

“Cool, you can call me Futaba. I’m, like, basically your sister. The one who brought you here is Makoto, and the blondie girl is Ann.” The girls each smiled at him in turn before Makoto spoke up again.

“Why did you come to Tokyo? Surely there is a reason that you seeked us out.” Would they really believe him?

“It’s going to sound weird…”

“We’re used to weird.”

“I was sent here by a girl named Lavenza. She told me that Akira has something called palace and that I had to help him.” Makoto’s eyes widened in recognition and she breathed a small sigh.

“I see… that is a problem. What do you guys think?” She glanced at the rest of the group and they all nodded, “I suppose we agree. We’ll help you Ren, after all, Akira has done a lot for all of us. It’s about time we paid him back. The one condition is that Akira cannot find out no matter the cost until we’re ready. Can you promise me that?” Ren nodded and Makoto stood, “I’ll escort you back to the train station. I’m sure you’ll want to get home before it gets too late.”

Home sweet home. As much as he had liked Akira’s friends and as pretty as the city had been, Inaba felt much safer than Tokyo. As he walked towards his house, he bumped shoulders with someone. Someone that looked extremely familiar. Ren couldn’t put a name to the face, but he could have sworn that he’d met this person before. Somewhere, sometime, but when?


	3. In Which Futaba

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Futab, Futaba, the Futaba, Futaba Sakura Herself

“Ren, where the hell have you been?” Ren unconsciously flinched as Akira glared at him from the doorway. Akira frowned softly to himself. Right, Ren was his brother, not someone he had to interrogate. He lifted his gaze from his brother’s worried eyes, glancing around instinctively. A flash of brunette hair, a light brown school uniform. …Akechi…? No… it couldn’t be. The Akechi he knew had died back in that engine room and the one that Maruki had conjured up disappeared along with that reality, “inside now.” Ren flinched again and Akira sighed. Again, he didn’t have to command Ren. Ren was… fragile. He’d always been a crybaby, breaking out in tears over anything that even slightly upset him.

“Akira…?” Ren’s voice was weak as Akira shoved him into the house, “are you okay?” Akechi… there was no way in hell that was actually him. He had… he had died.

“Just go to bed Ren, it’s late.” He couldn’t go through this again, he wasn’t strong enough.

There was something desperately wrong with Akira. He had never been so cold with Ren before. If he needed help, then it was Ren’s job to help him. That’s what twin brothers were for after all. He **had** to help Akira, no matter the cost. He pulled out his phone, sending a quick text off to one of Akira’s friends.

> Ren: Hey, can we talk?
> 
> Futaba: It’s getting pretty late my dude… but whatever, sure. What’s up?
> 
> Ren: Can we meet up tomorrow?
> 
> Futaba: Okie dokie. Remember how to get to Leblanc?
> 
> Ren: I think so, I’ll see you then.

Despite how Akira seemed last night, like he was never going to let Ren out of his sight again, it was surprisingly easy to sneak out of the house without him noticing. He seemed… upset. He only got that quiet when he was drowning in his own thoughts. He didn’t even seem to care.

“Yo! Thought I’d come and get you at the station just in case you got lost!” Futaba waved at him from a short distance away, sitting on a small wall, “so whatcha want to talk about? Need to know anything in particular?"

“What exactly is a palace? Everyone kind of failed to clear that up for me.” Futaba stared at Ren silently for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Bahahaha, oh my god! Even Lavenza?” Ren nodded and she laughed even harder, “okay, okay. I’m good.” She jumped down from the wall, pounding a fist to her chest confidently, “don’t worry about a thing! Starting today, I’m your sensei in all things Phantom Thief related!” She grabbed Ren’s hand, dragging him along with her as she began to talk about all the things that the Phantom Thieves had done. In all, Ren did find it interesting, but he didn’t understand. How exactly was taking this treasure going to make Akira go back to normal?

“You look confused. Don’t worry about it, you’ll figure it out as we go,” Ren frowned. How was he supposed to…? “well, I guess we have to get going before we can actually teach you things,” As she said this, she stopped in front of the café and gestured for him to head in, “the best place to start would be figuring out what the hell Aki’s palace actually is.”

“How exactly do we do that?” Futaba smiled mischievously and whipped out her phone. Oh boy, that expression did not bode well to Ren. He was really in for it; wasn’t he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, here's a short chapter because i disappeared for like two weeks. i've been playing persona okay, i'm finally doing. just beat madarame's palace today. wish me luck


End file.
